A Different Fate

by Musal

What if Train didn't know Creed killed Saya? What if he believed it was Chronos? What if Train helped Creed create the Apostles to get revenge on Chronos? What happens when Train learns the truth? CxT

49. One Step Closer

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat or its characters.

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Lin ran as fast as he could out of the city and towards the woods, dodging citizens as he passed by. He needed to get to the location he believed he might find his beloved Sweetness as quickly as possible. While he was walking down the street on his mission to interrogate people, the Chronos assassin heard a group of men talking about an insane and random storm that occurred in the middle of a field just a few hours walk from where they were. They were apparently on their way to check it out, but Lin managed to convince them out of it.

For their own safety, really. If this does have anything to do with my sweet cat, they shouldn't go there.

He glared up at the setting sun, noticing night had already begun to make its appearance which told him he didn't have much time to track Creed or find this Sweetness. While he was still capable of tracking in the dark, nighttime would make it far more difficult.

Especially if I'm going to be searching through the woods for a random, empty field. I need to pick up the pace before it gets too dark and the trail goes cold!

It was nothing short of pure luck that he just happened to walk past them at the most opportune moment. It was even more serendipitous that the men happened to be a group of storm chasers who had been tracking the squall through an app on their phone. The weather disturbance was picked up by a satellite, which was connected to the app, and gave the men all the information they needed about the intensity level of the storm along with the location where it occurred. As soon as Number X heard them talking about the level five storm located in the middle of nowhere, Lin knew exactly what it was and interrogated the group until their ears bled.

Train's Goddess of Luck is smiling on me. She has to be! She's trying to point me in the right direction and I have no doubt she's the woman that keeps appearing in my dreams.

Lin hadn't slept much in the last nine days, but the small amount he did get was always filled with dreams of either his sweet cat or a woman dressed in a flowery yukata he had never seen before. She never stated her name and when Lin questioned who she was, she never answered and he couldn't be sure if she was ignoring him or couldn't hear him. However, after being fortuitous enough to happen upon a group of storm hunters a few hours after Creed disappeared, Lin knew exactly who the woman in his dreams had been.

She's the Goddess of Luck… And she's trying to lead me to Train. She's trying to show me how to find my Sweetness and bring him home!

As Lin ran out of the city and began his journey into the woods, he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

Damn that Creed…. How dare he run off after Train on his own?! How dare he use himself as bait to get the Apostles to come out?!

Lin choked on a sob and wiped the tears from his eyes.

...How dare he think of doing that before I could…

Lin knew he was still a target for the Apostles. He assumed he might have been lower on their list since they captured Train, but he knew they weren't going to let him slip by that easily. Chances were they were going to use his sweet love to kill him and Creed, but they were still working on getting Train to obey their orders. It was clear after they ran into the Apostles and the gunman on the docks that his sweet cat still had a bit of free will left in him. He refused to kill the weapons dealer and if Train wouldn't kill her, Lin knew he wouldn't kill anyone he actually cared about either.

And even though he doesn't love me like I love him, he still cares about me. As he is right now, he won't kill me or Creed, which means we need to get him back now before they have complete control over him.

That was what made Lin come to the conclusion that Creed decided to use himself as bait to get the Apostles to show themselves. Even if Train wasn't ready to kill yet and he didn't come out with the Apostles, having Creed or Lin in their grasp would be an advantage for the terrorist group. They could keep either of them prisoner while they prepared Train to kill, or give them the will controlling drugs as well and make them fight their beloved to the death.

I have no doubt in my mind Creed thought of the same thing and ran off on his own to draw them out.

Creed and Lin had practically been glued at the hip while they searched for Train, which meant neither of them had been alone, vulnerable, and easy pickings for the Apostles. Even though they'd been weak and tired, they were also angry and driven enough to still put up a decent fight, so Creed being by himself gave the Taoist the chance to take the swordsman prisoner, or at least try to attack him while he was alone. That meant if the Apostles wanted to attack and or kidnap Creed or Lin, they would have to do it when they were alone.

Lin cursed loudly as he ran around the trees, ignoring how much his body was screaming for him to stop and rest. He hadn't run that fast in a long time and his body wasn't in the best shape for it.

Why didn't I think of it first?! Why didn't it occur to me to use myself as bait to find Train?! This just gives Creed another point in Train's favor!

Even though Lin knew he didn't stand a chance in hell to win the Black Cat's heart over Creed, that didn't change the desire he had to try. He was still so desperate to have Train back that he began tallying points for Creed and himself in his head and the silver man's martyring behavior put him ahead. Previously, in Lin's mind, he had been ahead for the cat's love since Creed had been worthless for four days while Train was captive. But, now that the swordsman was stepping in the Apostles nest on his own, Creed was back in the lead.

It's childish and selfish to mentally keep points and I absolutely know it's useless, but I can't help myself. I want Train so bad and even though I know he'll never return my love, I can't help my heart and mind from inventing a fictional reality where he does.

There was still a flicker of hope in him that Train could love him one day and it refused to die out. No matter how many times he mentally berated himself or tried to dampen the passionate candle that burned brightly for his Sweetness, he still woke up every morning with hope in his heart that Train loved him.

That same light of hope clung to whatever positive interaction he ever had with Train as proof that the cat would one day be his again. It even used the four days Creed was sitting useless in bed as stimulus for his fantasy of being in Train's arms once more, but his heart knew how futile those dreams were.

Train has never loved me and will never love me… Even if Creed was dead and buried and he came back to me purely for the comfort of having another body to lay next to you in bed, he'd never be able to truly love me the way he loves that man…

Lin also knew how selfish he was for still vying for the man's affections even though he made it perfectly clear his feelings for Creed made it impossible for him to love another. His selfishness was one of the things that got his heart broken in the first place. Even though Train insisted it was his fault and Lin had committed no transgressions, Number X couldn't and wouldn't ever accept that. Maybe that was only because he was incapable of blaming Train for anything, but he didn't care since his heart was telling him it was all his fault.

Train told me point blank on several occasions he didn't think being with me was a good idea. He was trying to protect me, but I was selfish and egotistical and thought I could win his heart. And now here I am, losing my sanity trying to get him back even though I know at the end of the day, he'll be back in Creed's bed.

Lin shook his head and dodged a tree he nearly crashed into. That was the forth tree he nearly hit. He was too distracted in his self hate and jealousy towards Creed to pay attention to what he was doing or where he was going. He had to stop and gather his bearings, just to make sure he was still going in the right direction.

Calm down and concentrate. You won't be able to find either of them if you keep getting lost in your own depressive and obsessive thoughts.

Lin pulled out his phone to compare his current location to his desired location, nodded, and continued running full speed towards the field. He knew his body was about to give out at any moment, but he refused to stop. The lack of sleep and constant moving was taking a serious toll on his body, and he wasn't sure how much more of it he could take.

Just a little more! Just a little longer! I need to get to the field as soon as possible. Even if they're long gone by now, there might be clues as to where Train is.

Lin stopped suddenly when he heard a rustling noise coming from a few yards in front of him. Knowing it could be the Apostles, he pressed himself against a tree and waited to see who or what was about to reveal themselves. He held his breath as the rustling got louder, letting the number know it was getting closer. Lin pulled out his cloak and readied himself for a fight. He didn't want to take on the Apostles or Train on his own, but he would if that meant getting his sweet love back home safely.

I'll do anything to get Train back...

He glanced around the tree and dropped his jaw. He pulled his head back quickly and covered his mouth, mostly to prevent himself from screaming out a stream of curses. Despite the darkening sky, there was no mistaking who that man was.

Doctor is here?! That has to mean Train is close by!

He froze.

That also means his monsters might be close by as well...

Lin looked around the tree again and frowned at the man. He looked like he was alone, which worried Lin more than if he saw the scientist with a fleet of Taoist. If he had one of his pets with him, or even was accompanied by Train or another Apostles' member, Lin would have been less concerned since then he'd know what to do. He'd stay quiet and hidden. There was also just something unnerving about the man traveling by himself.

I've heard his Tao is quite powerful, but from what Sephiria has found out, it only works if he can see his opponent. He also has no fighting skills to speak of, so as long as he doesn't see me, there's nothing he can do.

Lin looked down at his hands and noticed they were shaking slightly. His body was exhausted, but despite that he knew he could take on Doctor in a hand to hand fight. However, it was still something he wanted to avoid since the last thing he needed was to be trapped in his dream world. Especially when he was so sure Train was within arms reach.

And what if it's a trap? What if this is part of some ploy to get Creed to come out?

Lin looked around in hopes that he might see some sign of the silver swordsman, but saw nothing. He let out a quiet breath, then turned back to watch Kanzaki and noticed he looked mostly unharmed. Maybe a little beaten up and frazzled, but for the most part he just looked furious. Lin could even hear him cursing under his breath and could have sworn he heard a name he recognized.

Did he just say Aliane? Isn't that one of the names of those musician friends Train invited into their home?

Wanting to know more, but not wanting the man to see him, Lin climbed up the tree he was leaning against, then leapt to the next one to follow Doctor. He was shocked, but proud of himself for how logical he was being. Instead of running straight into the fray like he had been the last nine days, he was taking his time and coming up with the plan. Most likely because that was the first time he was certain Train was nearby. If he jumped out and attacked Doctor now, he might blow his chance.

Or Creed's chance if he's somewhere nearby and this is part of his plan. I'll have to beat the shit out of him later for not including me. He knows how desperately I want Train back.

Lin leapt to the tree that was just above the scientist's head, staring at the man as he leaned against the bark and shut his eyes. Kanzaki punched the wood and cursed loudly, then ran his fingers through his hair.

"DAMN THAT WOMAN! I told Charden we should have killed her while we had the chance!"

Lin frowned at his words.

Is he talking about Aliane again? What does she have to do with any of this?

Deciding he needed to know more before he made a move, Lin scooted down the tree a bit more, hoping Doctor would continue talking to himself. He didn't seem very stable at the moment, but then again, Kanzaki's sanity wasn't what any reasonable person would consider stable. Based on what Lin was watching, Doctor looked like a deranged man who had become even more unhinged than he already was. Lin jumped silently down to a lower branch, leaning forward slightly so he could better hear the madman.

Doctor sighed and lowered himself to the ground. He pulled out a whistle and blew into it, then waited a few seconds. He cursed again and punched the ground, digging into his pocket for a flask Lin could only assume was filled with water. Lin continued to watch as Doctor took a small sip, then placed it back in his pocket.

He leaned his head back on the tree, eyes still shut as he spoke to himself again. "If I go back to the Apostles… Will Charden spare me?"

Lin's frowned deepened.

Does that mean Charden doesn't know he's here? Did he run away?

The number remained quiet as he continued listening. "He has to… I know he has that woman to help with the experiments, but she's not even half the scientist I am. There are things we're doing she doesn't understand. And I did that on purpose so he'd need me no matter what…"

Lin rolled his eyes.

Geeze, looks like I'm getting the entire bad guy monologue. Has he really lost his mind that much? Or is he talking to someone I can't see?

Doctor laughed maniacally and beat the back of his head against the tree. "If the world thought I was insane before, they should get a load of me now! I'm talking to a damn tree about my doomed fate!"

Lin sighed quietly.

I'm really starting to think he's alone. Now might be my best chance to question him on Train's whereabouts.

Lin remained silent so he could learn more. "Will Shiki or Maro try to convince Charden to kill me? No… No, they know how much I'm needed as well. And Echidna most certainly wouldn't want my demise since it would mean Charden would have to get his hands dirty and dispose of my experiments himself. Besides, there's no one else that can control Aja and Aztec. They only take orders from me. They're out of control otherwise."

Lin clenched his fists at the man's words. He knew he was talking about the children they were conducting experiments on and knew that's who would have to be 'disposed of', as Doctor put it.

He's sick. Completely and utterly demented. He sees human life as nothing more than an inconvenience.

A tear fell from his eye.

What has he been doing to my precious love?

Doctor ran his hands across his face. "I need to get away for a while. Away from the Apostles and out of Chronos eye. They have the Black Cat back now… And I know they won't go easy on me…"

Lin's eyes widened his mouth and body moved before he could stop himself. He jumped out of the tree and landed in front of the scientist, pointing his weapon at Kanzaki's neck. "WHERE'S TRAIN?!"

Doctor put his hands up, then blinked at the number. "Number X… What a pleasant surprise. To what do I owe the pleas-"

Lin cut his neck a little with his cloak and leaned closer. "Cut the crap and answer me! Where's Train?!"

Doctor frowned in confusion. "He… hasn't returned?" He looked back at the ground in thought. "Why wouldn't he flash them back…?"

Lin growled and dug his cloak deeper into the man's flesh. "SHUT UP AND ANSWER MY QUESTION! WHERE'S TRAIN?!"

Doctor smirked and adjusted his glasses despite the precarious predicament he found himself in. "Now, now, Number X… We both know you've never killed before. What makes you think now will be any different?"

Lin spat in the man's face and dug his cloak deeper into his neck, drawing a significant amount of blood. "There's a first time for everything, isn't there? What better way than to pop my murder cherry then by killing the man who took my beloved sweet cat away from me?"

Doctor snickered. "Oh, my dear Shaolee… I do believe Creed-sama took Heartnet away a long time ago. And from what I remember, Train was never yours in the first place."

Lin growled, pulled back, and sliced the man's chest. Before Doctor had a chance to react to the attack, the assassin put his weapon back against his throat.

He leaned in close, making sure the madman saw the venom pour out of his eyes. "Where. Is. Train."

Kanzaki could tell it wasn't a question, reminding him all too well of the encounter he just had with Creed outside their hideout. He grimaced at the pain in his chest, but managed to smirk despite it. "If you'd just walk a few miles further… you'll find all the answers you need…"

Lin cocked an eyebrow at him. "What the hell does that mean? There's no way you'd leave Train by himself." He paused, his body going cold as a thought occurred to him. "...Unless."

Doctor's snicker started out quiet, then grew in volume as he threw his head back. "What else do you think I'd do with him once we found out he won't obey orders?! Why else would I be out here all by myself?"

Lin shook his head, his body beginning to feel weak at the idea. "No… No, that doesn't make sense…"

Doctor wouldn't kill Train… He couldn't… could he?

The difference in strength between Train and Doctor was beyond tremendous, but if his sweet love was under the influence of a drug, he might not be able to fight back. But, it didn't make sense that Kanzaki would try to kill Train alone. He would at least bring Aja or Aztec with him. Even Shiki or Maro for back up just in case things got out of control.

But I don't think either of them stand a chance against Train either. He would have to bring those monsters. They're the only ones other than Creed or Sephiria that I think stands a chance against the immense power the Apostles granted Train.

Lin shook his head and refocused back on Kanzaki, digging his cloak deeper into the scientist's throat. "You really think I believe you'd bring Train out in the middle of nowhere to kill him without any form of back up? That's a fool's errand and while you are a monster, Kanzaki, you are no fool. I also don't believe you'd leave Train's body to rot. You absolutely take it with you to continue your sick experiments him."

Kanzaki sighed in frustration. "Again with the dissection! I already know there's nothing abnormal about Heartnet's organs. Cutting him open is literally a waste of time."

There was something about the way the man said that that made Lin believe him.

Which means the rest of what he says might be true as well…

Lin felt himself beginning to shake, his eyes wandering off in the direction Doctor had come from as he imagined finding Train's lifeless body laying in the middle of the field.

Doctor noticed his distraught reaction and continued. "If the truth will really spare my life, I'll tell you."

He slowly moved his hand, preparing to trap the man in his Tao the second the cloak wasn't cutting his throat. "I actually only brought the Black Cat out here to test his new powers. However, it did not go as planned and his Tao backfired. I'm sure you've been able to figure out from the battle at the docks that we put Nanomachines in his body, but unfortunately, their healing factor wasn't able to keep up with the damage the Black Cat's Tao was causing him. Train's heart gave out and he collapsed on the ground. I performed CPR, of course, I didn't want to lose my best weapon, but it was too late…"

Lin thought about his words, horrified that they made sense. It explained why Kanzaki was currently alone and looking as though he was running away. If Doctor accidentally killed Train before the Apostles could make use of him, Lin could see Charden being livid with the scientist and giving the Taoist the order to kill him. It also explained why the beasts weren't there since they might have gotten in the cat's way of his training session. They could have taken any of his practice attacks as real, and attempted to kill him.

He still had no idea what Aliane might have to do with any of it, but there was always the chance he misheard that portion of Doctor's one-sided conversation. It was starting to make so much sense that he didn't even think about +Kanzaki's curiosity of why Train didn't flash them back or his confusion that the gunman hadn't returned home yet.

No… No, Train isn't dead. Train wouldn't die… TRAIN CAN'T DIE!

Lin felt his body getting weak, pulling his arm slightly away from the man he had pinned against the tree as he took a few steps back. His mind began to slip to images of Train's lifeless body, and he felt himself getting weak. The world was beginning to spin around him and he clutched his head in panic.

"No… No, you're lying… Train's not dead…"

Doctor smirked and raised his hands higher, preparing to trap the man, but waiting for the perfect moment. "As I said, keep walking and you'll see for yourself. Your sweet Black Cat is no more…"

Lin felt like a boulder had been dropped on his chest and slowly let the darkness take him. The world was getting dimmer and foggier by the moment, his head swirling with the thoughts and images of his sweet love being dead. He clutched his head and chest and stumbled back, vision blurry as he prepared himself to pass out.

No… No, Train… Please don't be dead!

Doctor laughed maniacally and twirled hands as he readied his Tao, seconds away from trapping the stunned number is his dreamworld. He was stopped when a sword was thrown at his wrist, pinning his lab coat to the tree. He looked away from Lin wildly and widened his eyes at the image of Sephiria and Belze running towards them. There were a few low level erasers following them, but his biggest concern was Number One and Number II.

"DAMNIT!" Doctor shouted as he tried to pull his sleeve free. Panicking, he pulled the whistle out of his pocket once more, blowing into it frantically. Even though he couldn't hear the sound it made, he prayed his monsters would.

Sephiria ran full speed at the man, nodding at Belze to handle Lin. Number II complied as he leapt in the air and next to Number X, grabbing the man by the shoulders and shaking him Violently.

"KANZAKI!" Sephiria yelled as she leapt in the air and towards him.

She cursed and threw herself to the side, narrowly avoiding a lightning bolt that was aimed at the spot she once resided. She landed on the ground and rolled to the side when a sword that looked very much like Creed's appeared, then flipped backwards on her hands to avoid another stab. She skidded to a halt and glared at the beasts as they surrounded Doctor, making it clear they would kill anyone that came closer.

Sephiria clenched her fist and ran forward, unwilling to let the man get away when they had him trapped like a rat. Just before she reached them, Doctor smirked and flashed away with both creatures, leaving nothing but the torn remains of his jacket and her sword embedded in the tree. Number One slowed her running down to a jog, then stopped in front of the tree and stared at the spot the scientist was once pinned. She punched the tree harshly, then pulled her blade out of the bark.

Sheathing her weapon, Sephiria turned around to address her lackeys. "Is there anyone else around?"

One of the erasers answered on behalf of everyone else, since the rest were still checking the perimeter. "No, Ma'am. No one in sight. It looks like Doctor was alone."

Sephiria growled under her breath. "Was being the key word in that sentence..."

He could be calling for reinforcements. This could be a trap.

She looked over at Belze trying to shake sense into Lin and frowned. She walked over to her subordinate, pushing Number II aside so she could stand in front of Number X. Scowling, she slapped the man once across the cheek, then spoke to him in a stern tone.

"Why didn't you erase Doctor while you had the chance?"

Lin clutched his cheek and blinked at her. "I… I wanted him to tell me where Train was…"

Sephiria cocked an eyebrow at him. "And?"

Lin sighed and shook his head. "He… He says he's dead… He said if I kept walking that way, we'd find his body…"

Sephiria frowned at Lin, then to where he was duly pointing. She glared in that direction, then turned around and slapped Lin again. "Heartnet isn't dead. He was saying that to distract you so he could trap you in his Tao. Which he was almost successful in, but lucky for you, we came along at the opportune moment. I told you not to let your guard down with him! I told you if you were ever alone with him, you can't stop moving for a second or you need to attack from the shadows. Yet, here I am again, lecturing you on your impulsive actions that almost got you killed. It's like you want the Elders to punish you!"

Lin lowered his head, his voice dark as he spoke. "Are you… positive Train isn't dead…?"

Sephiria rolled her eyes.

Is that really all he took out of that tongue lashing?

She looked at the man's defeated position and decided he had been punished enough. With everything he had been through the last nine days, she really didn't want to continue making him feel worse.

Besides that, I don't have time to continue reprimanding him. He's his own worst enemy right now. I just wish he would see it.

She sighed and put a hand on his shoulder, waiting until he looked at her before she said something.

Once their eyes met, she spoke again, but made sure he could still hear the fury in her voice as his defiance. "I am positive, without a shadow of a doubt, that Train is not dead. Doctor was alone. No matter what his excuse was, there's no way he'd come out with Train in the middle of nowhere by himself. That whistle was to call his beasts which confirms he was alone and based on the state he was in, I think he's been wandering around for hours trying to find a spot where they could hear him calling for their help."

Lin felt a bit more hopeful. "So… What do you think happened?"

Sephiria pulled her hand away and began walking in the direction. "I have no earthly idea, but considering we have not yet reached the destination of the storm, we won't have our answers until we get there. I'll inform you of my diagnosis on the situation once I have more facts to go on."

She stopped and looked at the ground, then at the sky. "But, there is one thing I am more positive of than anything: Train Heartnet is alive. He would not die that easily. You need to have better faith in the man, Number X. After all, Creed does."

Hearing Lin get angry at the comparison to Creed, Sephiria smirked knowing she had him back. She continued walking in the direction she knew they needed to go, her smirk turning into a determined look as she walked.

Train is alive. I'm positive. Creed is as well. And we'll find them both. I have no doubt.

With those reassuring thoughts in mind, Number One continued walking forward, certain they would find their lovestruck allies.

---

Creed woke up with Train sleeping in his arms and he let out a breath of relief at the sight. It had been a long and sleepless night for everyone. Aliane woke up every hour to do a perimeter sweep, then went back to sleep. But, Creed knew every time she finally managed to fall asleep again, she'd have to wake up for her next check. He appreciated the extra steps the woman was taking to make sure they were safe, especially since he literally couldn't leave Train's side.

Every time I get up even for something as simple as relieving myself, Train has a panic attack and starts searching for me. It breaks my heart for so many reasons…

Creed was terrified and heartbroken to see his beloved having such a hard time existing without him. He prayed that it would get better once they were home and he was in familiar territory, but he also wasn't sure how Train would react to seeing their friends. When he first saw Creed, he thought he was Zagine and that left open the possibility that all their other friends might have been replaced with a previous traumatic experience as well.

I know my Kitten has been traumatized by more than just that man. He could have replaced any one of them with a Chronos target we dealt with when we were partners. And if he's still fighting becoming his old assassin self, he won't hesitate to kill any of them.

Creed wasn't going to let that happen. Not only did he not want his friends to be murdered, but he knew if Train was the one to do it, his love would lose a little more of himself.

And we'll all suffer the loss of a family member along with the loss of Train's humanity…

Creed knew Train was already fighting so hard against the Chronos' drug that was still in his system and the silverette was positive if the golden man had to start fighting the pain and guilt of killing a loved one… that might have been the end of his precious, sweet Kitten.

Creed clutched his beloved even tighter, smiling at the way Train snuggled and purred into his chest.

I won't let that happen, my love. I promise, you will never feel an ounce of pain ever again.

Creed kissed the top of his head, chuckling at the way Train mewled at the contact, overjoyed that he was still able to tell the swordsman was there despite finally falling back asleep. Train's remarkably positive reaction to Creed's presence gave the man hope for his beloved's future. If Creed could prevent Train from attacking Aliane, someone who was truly their enemy, then he could most certainly stop his love from attacking their friends.

I just need to stay by his side no matter what. That shouldn't be a problem since I already promised myself and Train I'd never leave him again. And I don't want to.

Creed ran his fingers through Train's hair, a blissful smile adorning his pale lips as the way his beloved's silky, yet slightly dirty locks danced playfully between his fingers.

I'll go with him wherever he goes.

Creed felt Train stir a little, but did not stop his kisses or his soft caresses. When he felt his love stretch and moan, Creed smiled and buried his head into his love's hair. "Good morning, my love."

Or is it morning? I can't see the sun through the hole of the roof. Is it possible the night hasn't fully passed yet?

Train jumped at the voice and the hands touching him, then sighed in relief when he saw who it was. The last few times he woke up, Creed wasn't there and he didn't know where he went, but seeing he was still in his lover's arms, Train was able to grasp onto reality much easier. He was even beginning to have his own thoughts again, but he wasn't sure if that was due to Creed's presence or the sleep.

Doesn't matter. As long as I can think at least somewhat like how I used to and as long as Creed is still really here, I don't care.

Train squinted at Creed, his muddled mind beginning to question if it was really his partner's arms he laid in. He reached out and cupped both of his Stallion's cheeks, bringing the man's head closer to his own so the cat could press their foreheads together. He looked into Creed's eyes, his heart melting at their beautiful, innocent, blue depths and he welcomed the warmth that took over his heart, mind, and soul.

It's not enough. I need to be certain.

Train knew if that was the real Creed, he definitely would not turn down what Train was about to do. The Black Cat pressed his lips harshly against Creed's, desperate to feel the heat of the other man, desiring nothing more than to remind his cloudy brain what his lover tasted like. He rolled over so he was sitting on Creed's lap, wrapping his legs around the silver man's neck as he pushed him back into the haystack with the force of his kiss. Train was elated to feel Creed respond immediately, slowly confirming his legitimacy as the cat slipped his tongue between his lover's lips as soon as he was given the chance.

Creed wrapped his arms around Train's back and pulled the man as close to his body as he could. They had created almost that exact same embrace every time Train woke up and needed to be reminded Creed was real. The silver man was never going to turn down any opportunity he got to show his Kitten how much he adored him. If Train were in a better physical and mental condition, Creed would have made love to him multiple times last night.

If Train was in a better mental state, I would have screwed his brains out the second I realized he knew it was me. I don't think he's ready yet and I know the Chronos drug is still controlling him. If I started guiding us in that direction, I wouldn't know if Train was actually saying yes, or just unable to say no. And I will not take advantage of my Kitten.

However, as Train deepened the kiss even more and ran his fingers up and down Creed's chest and stomach, he was beginning to wonder if his beloved was trying to sway them in that direction on his own. If that was the case, Creed would happily oblique his love, but he wouldn't do anything his cat didn't want.

When Train pulled his lips away from Creed's and began trailing them down his neck, the silver man couldn't help the bugle that was beginning to form between his legs. Creed moaned quietly and pulled Train harder against his body, inadvertently thrusting his hips up and brushing them against his beloved's growing member, making it even more difficult to keep the ribald thoughts at bay.

Would it really be that bad if Train was the one to initiate it? Wouldn't that mean he's doing it willingly?

Creed hissed pleasantly when Train bit down on his neck. He arched his back slightly and tickled his love's back, still trying to control himself and let Train lead the way. As he felt his love's fingers outline the lean muscles of his chest and massage every inch of his body, Creed wasn't sure how much longer he was going to last. It was becoming more and more challenging not to flip his love over and have his way with him, but somehow Creed managed to keep himself under control and allow Train to do as he wished to his body.

"Train…" Creed moaned as his lover's lips traveled down his neck and to his chest, kissing every inch of his smooth skin until he reached his stomach. "Are you okay?"

Train nodded his head and slid his tongue along Creed's stomach. "Yes. I just need to make sure you're real. I need to make sure this isn't a dream."

Creed smiled sadly at his love. While he was grateful to have Train back and overjoyed to see his love still wanted to taste and touch every part of his body, he was saddened to hear his Kitten was still questioning if they were really back together.

He still doesn't know if this is reality… That's why he's exploring my body. To remind himself that I'm really here.

Creed looked down at his beloved and noticed that while Train's face did seem happy to be caressing and kissing Creed, there was still an obvious hesitancy composed on his angelic face. As if he was half expecting the man to disappear or turn into someone else.

And I'm sure that's what happened to him every time he managed to fall asleep while being held captive. My poor, sweet, Kitten.

"Train…" Creed whispered as he ran his hands through his beloved's hair. He needed to be careful with his words, since he knew his cat might take the smallest thing he said as a command. "Train… Don't worry, I'm really here. It's really me."

Train stopped what he was doing, thinking over Creed's words and beginning to panic. He looked up at his partner, his pathetic confusion prancing dangerously in his amber eyes as he spoke. "Is… Is that an order…?"

Creed sighed and shook his head. "No, Train. Nothing I say to you is an order." He pulled his cat up, resting the brunette on his chest and wrapping his arm back around his slim frame. "You have your free will back. You're not with those monsters anymore. You're with me, and I would never make you do something you didn't want to do."

Train nodded slightly, still not sure he understood what Creed was saying. "Then… Why did you stop me?"

Creed sighed and kissed the top of Train's head. "Because it's hard to tell the difference between what you really want, and what you think you are being ordered to do. Judging by the look on your face just now, I could tell you weren't sure of yourself. I could tell you were questioning if I was real or if I'd just float away like a euphoric dream."

He kissed his beloved's head again, then ran his fingers through the cat's hair as he spoke. "You're also having problems with your memory and if there's anyone who understands memory problems, it's me. And I will never take advantage of you."

Train thought about what he said, trying to think if he forgot about anything, then realized that he wouldn't remember it anyway. He sighed and molded his body into his lover's, snuggling his face as far as it would go into Creed's pliable skin with a content, but slightly confused smile on his lips. He shut his eyes and held Creed as tight as he could in his arm.

Train's smile became less confused and more peaceful as Creed kissed the top of his head over and over again. "How is your head?"

Creed frowned down at his beloved. "Are you really worrying about my well being right now?"

Train nodded, then turned his head so his chin was resting on Creed's chest. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Creed smiled, then took a gentle hold of his love's chin and pulled him in for a kiss. He let their lips idle for a few moments before he pulled away and smiled ardently at his beloved. "I love you so much, Train."

Train smiled, his still foggy brain slowly accepting that he was in fact in reality and buried his face back into Creed's chest. "I love you, Creed." He nuzzled his face even close to the swordsman's chest. "I really hope you don't disappear…"

Creed sighed and kissed Train's head again. "I won't, Kitten. I promise."

Creed smiled joyously as he felt Train kiss his chest, his hot air gently caressing his bear skin with each breath the cat took.

Train always wants to be in contact with my bare skin. I'm really glad I chose to keep both our shirts off.

In the short amount of time they had been reunited, Creed had learned that skin to skin contact with his love helped him tell the difference between reality and fiction. It seemed like his mind kept switching between the two quite often, and that was proven to the swordsman the multiple times he woke up to Train having a panic attack.

He woke up every time I left him, but he also woke up from nightmares. I tried to get him to describe them to me, but he's been too frantic to remember or properly portray what they were.

Creed was able to work out through his love's jumbled mess of words that Train's dreams had something to do with the Apostles and his friends turning into someone or something else. It sounded like his Kitten's dreams always started out well, but quickly turned to something horrible.

Train would be with either Creed or their friends, but they would suddenly turn into monsters or the Taoists, thus beginning the nightmare. The silverette was also able to work out that whenever Train woke up, he was still trapped in his nightmare and couldn't tell if he had really woken up and was really back in Creed's arms. His brain was a wreck and Creed was still trying to figure out what worked to bring him back.

I know Saya's song works. He snaps out of it whenever I sing it or he hears the music box. That seems to work the best. And skin to skin contact or a kiss works to keep him grounded to reality. However, intimate embraces don't seem to snap him out of his panic attacks. They really just reinforce that I'm really here and he's back in the true world.

Creed questioned why Saya's song worked, and he had a feeling it must have had something to do with the drugs and Doctor's knowledge of what Train cared about. Doctor knew about all of Train's friends and loved ones except Saya, and he knew Creed and Train were lovers, which was probably why intimate touches didn't bring him out of his panicked states. They only helped keep him calm once he became calm.

It was true that Kanzaki knew of the woman's existence, but Creed couldn't recall any moments when Train said her name out loud to Kanzaki, nor did the man know what she looked like or sounded like. Creed never mentioned her around Doctor either, and there was no one else in the Apostles who would have known who she was either.

There's also no way they would have ever known about her song. Saya is an untainted memory. One that Doctor can't touch.

Creed kissed the top of Train's head again, his fingers drifting down his cat's back lovingly as he smiled and stared up at the ceiling. He could almost feel the sweeper girl smiling down at them.

She's his guardian angel. She an innocent retention in his mind, and a constant reminder of peace in Train's life. As long as we have her spirit and her memory, Doctor can never touch my beloved. We have a trump card to pull out any time it looks like we're losing him.

"Hey, Creed?"

Creed looked down at his beloved who's cheek was pressed against his chest so his face was turned outwards. The silver man smiled, then reached out and took Train's hand into his own, playing with his love's fingers as he spoke. "Yes, Kitten?"

"How come…" He paused, trying to think of what to say. It was still hard to speak his own thoughts. Almost like his mind was trudging through water to get them out.

It's still so difficult to have my own thoughts let alone speak them out loud. ...And it hurts to do it.

Train felt the pain rising as his mind wandered off on its own, as if his body was punishing him for having individual ideas. He winced a little, then locked onto the thin, agile hand that was dancing with his fingers and smiled contentedly. He decided to use the other man's touch and warmth to get him through his sentence.

"How come… How come I can… talk to you like normal?" Train sighed deeply when he realized how stupid his sentence sounded. "Well… Almost normal."

Creed smiled dismally at his beloved, then brought his hand to his lips so he could kiss the digits. "You can thank Sephiria for that when you see her."

Train blinked and turned his head slightly so he could look up at his lover. "Sephiria?"

Creed nodded and kissed the back of Train's hand. "Yes. Chronos concocted another drug that acts as an antidote to the Chronos' drug. Aliane gave it to you after I calmed you down during the fight."

He paused as he tried to remind his love of what happened only a few hours ago, kissing the palm of Train's hand, hoping that his lips would keep him focused. "Do you remember that yet?"

Train frowned and shook his head. "No. I told you the last thing I remember is waking up in here and thinking you were… that man. I barely even remember seeing her after that."

Creed frowned, knowing his love was talking about Aliane. They had that discussion already, so Creed didn't want to hash up old wounds, even though the conversation probably only happened about two hours ago.

Train informed him that he remembered waking up in Creed's arms, but he only sort of remembered seeing Aliane. And the only reason he remembered that was because he attacked her. It became foggy around the time Creed gave him the order to stop and go rest, which the silver man was able to work out immediately had something to do with the drug.

Whenever I give him something that he perceives as an order, he shuts down and becomes almost a zombie. He completes the task, no matter how small, then comes back to his senses. That's why he doesn't totally remember seeing Aliane here. Because I gave him an order almost immediately after that.

Creed tested the waters of how much Train felt the need to obey only a little, but he was still able to figure out a lot. Whenever he got up to relieve himself and Train would freak out, calmed him down, then ordered him to go back to sleep. The next time he woke up, Creed questioned him on what happened and Train wouldn't remember. At first, he thought it might be connected to his sleepiness, but Creed figured that might have only made it worse.

I also asked him if he needed to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and he took that as an order and did it. After that, he didn't remember doing it when I questioned him.

Later, Creed told him to drink water which he did immediately, then they stayed awake and talked for a while afterwards. Creed used that time to test his beloved's memory and discovered that when he questioned Train about their conversation, he didn't remember anything. He didn't even remember drinking the water. That's when Creed realized what was going on and continued to try to do his best to not give his beloved orders.

It's hard because he sometimes takes questions as orders as well. Even when I asked him how he was doing, I was concerned about how he would take it.

Creed felt like he had to tiptoe around Train not because he thought he would snap and go into a rampage, but because he didn't want his love to keep forgetting what was going on. He knew how disorienting and frustrating it was to constantly forget something that just happened and he didn't want his Kitten to go through any more troubles or tribulations.

However, I can't help but laugh at the irony of me being the one with the brain injury, yet my brain is functioning better than ever. Like it's gone into overdrive in order to keep my love safe.

"If… If that drug was supposed to work then why… Why am I still struggling? Why-" He grimaced as a quick, very furious wave of pain passed through him. "-Why does it still hurt to think?"

Creed watched his love flinch and trailed his kisses along Train's hand, up his arm and to his shoulder. He pulled his love up so he could place Train's head next to his own, resting their foreheads together as he spoke. "Because it's not enough. We need to give you more when we find Sephiria. And we'll give you as much as you need until you're better."

Train shivered at the thought, but sighed blithfully as Creed kissed his forehead gently. "I don't know how I feel about more needles…"

Creed pouted at his love and kissed the tip of his nose. "I know, Kitten, I know… But we have to if we want you to go back to normal, right?"

Train's eyes went empty as Creed said that and the silver man's heart sank. Creed felt cold all over as his beloved nodded his head in compliance. "Yes, Master."

Creed winced.

I really wish he'd stop calling me that. No matter how much my perverted mind wants to take advantage of it and turn it sexual, I won't let it. The fact that he's not doing it of his own free will helps keep the inappropriate thoughts as bay.

Creed sighed, aware he was most likely going to have to repeat everything he just said about the antidote and lowered his head.

However, a thought occurred to him and he decided to act on it. Creed flipped Train over so his back was against the hay and began tickling him wildly. Train laughed crudely, kicking his legs and clawing at the man on top of him as he tried to free himself. Creed made sure his Kitten stayed where he was and even upped the ante by latching his lips onto his beloved neck and licking at the sensitive skin there.

Train wailed merrily as he tried to pry his lover off him, tears falling from his eyes as he spoke in a ragged, yet happy voice. "I GIVE, I GIVE!"

Creed smiled and pulled back, sitting with his legs on either side of his beloved as he spoke. "Do you remember everything we just talked about?"

Train blinked at him in confusion. "About the Chronos antidote you mean?"

Creed sighed in relief and fell on top of his beloved. "Oh, thank God!"

He had a feeling that would work since it was something else Doctor didn't know about.

Just like he has no idea about Saya's song, he doesn't know Train is ticklish. No one does. Train said he didn't even tell Lin about it. This is a secret that only Train and I share.

Train frowned in confusion as Creed rolled next to him and pulled the cat against his chest. The gunman wasn't sure what was going on, but his mind felt a bit clearer and he was able to speak his thoughts with a lot less pain. "Why do you look so relieved?"

Creed smiled and kissed Train, then pulled back just enough that he could speak, but their lips weren't parted. "Because I think I've found another way to bring you back to me…"

Train felt his heart fill with fire as Creed pressed his lips against him again. He returned the gesture with zest and for the first time since he came out of the Apostles' hideout, didn't question for a second if the man in his arms was real. Train wrapped his arms around Creed's back and melted into the other man when his Stallion's arms slid around his waist. They stayed like that for what felt like hours, yet had only been seconds, and somehow was far too short for either of them for matter how long the embrace had actually lasted.

When they pulled back, Train rested his forehead against Creed's and smiled hopefully at him. "We're really together again, Creed… right?"

Creed answered his love's hopeful smile with a confident one. "Yes, my love."

He kissed Train again and again, then placed his Kitten's head against his shoulder, running his hand through his hair. "And we always will be…" He buried his face into his beloved's hair as he finished his statement. "...Always."

As they laid there, Creed allowed his eyes to drift back to the hole in the roof, trying to figure out what time it was. The sun didn't look like it had risen yet signaling to Creed they hadn't been in the barn for that long. He buried his head back into his love's hair as he tried to mentally work out what time it might have been and how much sleep they might have gotten.

It's so hard to judge with everything that's happened. It was about three when I left the hideout, and I think I ran into Aliane probably around four or four-thirty. I think it took us a few hours to get to the Apostles' hideout, which I'm both happy and angry at how close they were to us, so I think we ran into Doctor and Train about six or six-thirty. But, this is when it gets tricky… How long did my fight with my Kitten take?

To Creed, it felt like it happened in the blink of an eye, but it was the longest blink he had ever experienced. The heartbreaking battle with his beloved happened in slow motion, yet somehow was quick and painful. He was able to recall every tiny detail of the traumatizing encounter, but at the same time it was a foggy, distant memory his subconscious was trying to desperately protect him from. It was impossible for him to work out exactly how long they had been fighting for, since it felt like a lifetime, but also a mere spec of a second.

If I had to guess, and it's a big guess, I'd say it took about an hour, which means we began walking around seven or seven-thirty. I think we walked for about three or four hours which means it was between eleven and just past midnight when we found the barn.

Creed kissed Train's head, then smiled proudly at his ability to work out the time.

It's amazing how well my short term memory is working right now. I have no doubt it's because everything that has happened the last several hours has to do with Train, yet I can't help but hope this means my brain injury is getting better. Either that or I've gone completely delirious with exhaustion and stress and I just made everything up.

Creed caressed Train's cheek with his thumb, then looked back at the hole in the ceiling, noticing there were still stars in the sky, but they were becoming more translucent. Instead of a deep black, the sky was a dark blue and the moon was no longer visible.

Based on what he worked out in the sky, he'd say it was between four or five in the morning, meaning they had been at the barn for between four or six hours. Considering how many times they woke up during the night, Creed knew they didn't get much sleep, but it still equaled more than either of them got in the last nine days.

Despite that, I feel more tired than ever. Like I've teased my body with sleep and now it's begging for more.

Creed looked back down at his beloved, noticing his eyes were shut and his breathing was slowly, letting the silver man know he had fallen back asleep. The swordsman smiled, tucking Train's hair behind his ear so he could see his face better, then outlined his Kitten's face with the tip on his index finger. He sighed contentedly and pulled Train a little closer, relaxing his body into the itchy haystack and frowned.

This damn makeshift bed is another reason I can't sleep. Even with how tired I am and how happy I am to have Train back, I can't sleep on a bed that insists on pricking and poking my skin with every move I make.

Creed was still on alert for the Apostles, so his body was unable to fall into any sort of comfortable or deep sleep. It was more like he had been taking inconsistent catnaps that synced up with Aliane's hourly patrol. He told her to wake him up with updates, even if those updates were stating there was nothing to report and he was pretty sure his body was starting to expect the disturbances. The last few times the woman came to wake him, Creed was already awake and ready for an update.

Oh, and look who's walking up to me right now.

Creed sat up as Aliane approached and felt Train grumble a little at the movement. The silver man frowned at his beloved, kissed the top of his head, then covered Train's ear with his hands in hopes his conversation with the invisible woman wouldn't wake him up.

"Find anything?" Creed kept his voice low.

Aliane yawned, then shook her head. "No. Still nothing. Do you know what time you want to start moving again?"

Creed sighed as he adjusted Train slightly on top of his body, making sure his love's body was not touching the haystack. That was another reason Creed had been struggling with the pointy bed. He kept positioning Train so he was using Creed as a bed instead of the hay. Creed was more than willing to have an uncomfortable night's sleep if that meant his beloved would be even slightly cozy.

I'd sleep on a bed of nails with a boulder on my chest if it meant Train's burden was even lifted slightly. As long as he's able to rest and recover, I'll be fine. If I know that he's healing, I'll be able to heal.

He smiled when he heard Train mumble his name, kissed his head, then answered the woman's question. "I think we should wait until the sun rises at least. It'll be easier to travel in daylight and give Doctor more time to get lost."

Aliane tilted her head in confusion. "Do you mean 'get lost' as in 'Get lost, you asshole!' Or as if you believe he actually lost?"

Creed chuckled. "I hadn't thought of the former situation, but the latter is what I meant. I have no doubt Doctor is smart enough to be able to figure out how to escape the forest on his own, but it would be difficult for anyone in the darkness of the night. Even we had trouble. We only found this barn by happenstance."

It really was just complete luck. And I have no doubt that was due to Train's presence. I know he'd disagree with it, but fortuitous things always happen around him. He calls his lucky moments flukes, but I know how serendipitous situations like to show my beloved in love.

Creed smiled warmly at Train, then rested the side of his face in his love's hair.

Just like I do…

Aliane nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. So, you think Doctor is lost?"

Creed shrugged his shoulders. "I hope he's lost. I don't know if he has the means to call Aja or Aztec to come and find him and since none of the Apostles knew he was gone, they wouldn't know to look for him either. Added to all that, you destroyed his communication device."

Aliane frowned. "I destroyed the device he was using to order Train. We all have means of communication with each other on us at all times."

Creed returned her frown. "I thought you said you didn't have your phone on you?"

Aliane sighed and sat on the floor next to him. "Yes, but we all have a separate device to track us as well. I destroyed that before I left along with my phone. I knew they'd never take me back, so it was best to get rid of their means to track me down. We both know what they'll do to me if they find me."

Creed nodded ominously.

Her fate with Chronos won't be much better… But I don't need to remind her of that. She knows what she was agreeing to the moment she found me.

Tucking more of his love's hair behind his ears, Creed responded. "Do you think they'll notice Train is gone by now?"

Aliane frowned at Train, then leaned back on her hands and stared at the hole in the ceiling. "I'm not sure… Watts had already given him his evening meal by the time I left and Charden was passed out from the Nanomachines, so he won't be waking up for a while. With Doctor gone, that leaves only Echidna as someone who knows the code to get into Doctor's lab. So, it will really depend if she or Watts decides to check on him. And I know Watts won't. Besides all that, Echidna is still recovering. She hasn't left her room since the night at the docks."

Creed nodded in understanding. "Does she do that often?"

Aliane shook her head. "No. I've never seen her go to Doctor's lab without Charden. I don't think she likes to. It makes her uneasy. She didn't seem pleased with what they were doing to Train. While she never outright said anything against it, I could tell it didn't sit well with her. Just like the child experiments never sat well with her."

Creed chuckled. "She did always have a soft spot…"

He knew that despite her evil, terrorist status, she didn't like the sight of blood or gore. That was one of the reasons her Tao worked so well for her. She was able to kill cleanly from a distance, and she never had to actually see her handy work up close.

When I was running the Apostles, I saw it as a weakness. Now, I can see that it's just her softness coming out.

Creed's eyes widened briefly as he put pieces together in his mind.

I wonder if that's something we can exploit…

Aliane's claims that Echidna was concerned about Charden's well being combined with the actress' innate motherly personality, Creed was beginning to wonder if they would be able to use her to bring the Apostles down.

She never seemed as committed to destroying the Apostles as she claimed. I got the feeling she only joined because of me, and now she only stays because of Charden. If that's the case, and all she truly cares about is Charden's mental stability which is slowly slipping away, maybe we can get her to break the organization apart. Maybe we can destroy Chronos from the inside out.

Creed smirked and decided to keep that in the forefront of his mind the next time he saw Sephiria. If Number One believed that Echidna was truly concerned about her lover, and the Apostles' leader was really falling off the edge, then Creed was sure that plan would work. Combined with that, it sounded like the rest of the Taoist had grown uneasy around Charden as well, which showed a sign of weakness. If their enemies were not able to get along with one another, then they wouldn't be able to work together to take down Chronos.

And we can make our move when they're at their weakest. We can finally be free of this strenuous life.

Creed smiled wistfully down at his Kitten, continuing to outline his face with his fingers as he spoke his inner thoughts out loud. "We can finally live peacefully together… Just the two of us… Always…"

Aliane cocked an eyebrow at him. "Eh?"

Creed shook his head, kissed Train, and responded to the woman. "Nothing."

Aliane rolled her eyes. "Why do I feel like half of the time you're having a conversation with Train even though he's asleep?"

Creed chuckled and ran his fingers through Train's hair. "That's actually not too far from the truth." He kissed his lover's forehead, then rested his chin on top of the gunman's head as he spoke. "Would they notice your disappearance and go check on Train?"

Aliane laughed and shook her head. "They never question where I am and even when they do try to find me and can't, they just assume I'm using my Tao. Echidna and Nica might notice since I was taking care of their injuries, but not until late tomorrow morning."

Creed nodded firmly. "So, it sounds like as long as Doctor hasn't contacted the Apostles, they might not know Train's gone. Right?"

Aliane nodded hesitantly, since she didn't want to get his hopes up. "Yes. But, isn't that a big if? Do you really want to rely on that?"

Creed smirked at her. "I don't think it's as big of a hypothetical as you think. Doctor made it very clear he did not tell the Apostles what his plans with Train were, because he wanted to prove his experiment. However they didn't, and Kanzaki is a proud man. He wouldn't be willing to go back to the Apostles immediately after his defeat with his tail between his legs. Especially since he'd be returning without Train, which will no doubt get him in trouble with Charden. And from what it sounds like, Charden has become the type of person that would not forgive and forget so easily."

He sounds like he's turned into the type of person I used to be…

Aliane was unconvinced of his logic and continued to question it. "But, Charden is knocked out right now and Doctor has nowhere else to go. And if he can't contact those monsters, he'd have to go back to the Apostles."

Creed's smirk did not waver. "Yes, I agree with all your points, but I also don't think Doctor would go crawling back to the Apostles so quickly. Even if Charden is not able to kill him now, that doesn't mean the rest of them won't be able to overpower him and lock him away until Charden can deal with him. Doctor values his life too much to risk it so callously."

Aliane frowned. "So, are you saying you don't believe Doctor would return to the Apostles?"

Creed shook his head. "Not exactly. I don't think he'd return to them so quickly. I agree with you that he has nowhere else to go, which means he'd have to return at some point. Not to mention all his precious experiments. He wouldn't want to leave them behind. And besides all that, I think the Apostles still need him. While it is totally possible that Charden will kill him on sight for his insubordination and reckless behavior, if there's anything left of the man I knew in there, he'll realize that he can't get rid of Doctor. He's stuck with him. And I think Doctor will come to the same conclusion at some point, which is when he will return."

Aliane was quiet for a minute as she worked out his reasoning. "So… What do you think he's doing right now?"

Creed's smirk changed to a wicked one. "Probably swallowing in his own self pity that his plan did not work and gathering the shattered remains of his pride. However, I don't know how Doctor plans on getting out of the forest. He probably either disposed of his communication device like you did so they couldn't track us, or left it at the hideout. Either way, I don't think they'll have a way to find him, which means he's vulnerable and by himself right now."

Aliane stared at him, then nodded her head as she made the connection herself. "Which means he's probably going to lay low for a while and figure out what to do."

Creed smiled proudly at her. "Exactly. He may have nowhere else to go, but Doctor is a resourceful man. I'm sure he'll be able to find a place that will keep him hidden until he can return to the Apostles. He might even be able to come up with a plan that will cover up why he and Train were actually gone. I have no idea how he could dig himself out of this hole, but he is an intelligent man and stranger things have happened."

Aliane sighed. "Guess so… Is that why you're content staying here until the run rises? Because you don't think anyone is actually coming after us?"

Creed frowned, then asked one more question before he gave her a confident answer. "What time is Train normally given breakfast?"

Aliane tapped her chin in thought. "I used to give it to him around six or seven. But, Watts is lazy and doesn't really care about following Doctor's schedule for feeding Train, so he doesn't give it to him until around eight or nine."

Creed nodded. "Then yes, I am content on staying here until the sun rises because it sounds like they won't even know he's gone until a few hours after that. That gives up plenty of time to rest a bit more, then move. Also, I'm positive Sephiria has sent out a manhunt for me and since we aren't the Apostles' prisoners, I'm sure they'll find us soon."

He looked back down at Train, running his fingers through his hair as he spoke. "Honestly, now that I think about it, it might behove us to stay where we are for as long as we can. That would give Chronos more time to find us."

Aliane nodded, then looked dismally at Creed's body. "How are you feeling?"

Creed sighed, kissed Train, then looked down at himself. "Exhausted and sore, but okay. The Tao has almost completely healed all the majors wounds, but it doesn't fix my fatigue. That's another reason why I'd like to stay put. It'll give me more time to heal and Train more time to get the drug out of his system."

Aliane frowned at the cat. "That's a good segway into my next question: How is Train?"

Creed frowned, then looked down at his love and felt his face lighten almost immediately. "He's… okay. He's been sleeping on and off and whenever he wakes up I have to calm him down and remind him he's safe. It also doesn't seem like his memory of what happened while he was prisoner has come back, but I can't tell if he's suppressing that on his own or if it's the drugs. Every time I give him something that sounds like a command, he forgets whatever we were talking about… And he takes almost everything I say as an order."

Aliane sighed. "Yeah, he did that at the Apostles' as well. He even thinks questions are orders. You have to be careful with what you say around him."

Creed nodded. "Yeah, I've already managed to figure that out the hard way."

Aliane watched Creed caress his lover tenderly for a few more moments before she took a deep breath and told the man her intentions for her future. She had been thinking about it all night and knew what she had to do.

"Creed… When we meet with Chronos… I'm going to turn myself in."

Creed lifted his head from his love and blinked in confusion at the woman. "Really?"

Aliane nodded. "Yes. And I'll corporate with whatever questions they want to ask me. Including where the Apostles hideout is."

Creed frowned at her. "That won't be enough considering I know where it is now. Not to mention the moment they realize Train is gone, they're going to move again so it won't matter. Unless you know where their other hideouts are. Do you?"

Aliane sighed and shook her head. "No. Charden doesn't tell anyone except Echidna. We never know where we're going until we're there."

Creed's frown deepened. "Then that won't be enough for Sephiria not to kill you…"

The woman threw her hands up in the air. "Then I'll tell them anything else they need to know! It may not be much because I haven't spent a lot of time with them due to our mission to-" She paused, not wanting to finish her sentence and making sure it showed in her face.

Creed sighed and nodded. "I know, I understand. And I understand you might not know much since you spent most of your time as part of the Apostles tricking us, which is why I'm telling you I don't know how valuable Sephiria will see your life. She might kill you on sight."

Aliane frowned and shivered at the thought. "I… I know but… there must be something I can offer them. I do know a lot about what they were doing to Train and I was in the Doctor's lab a lot during those nine days I was back. I can try and remember if I saw anything that might help. I'll do whatever I can to help them and I'll give them whatever information I have and I thought maybe…" She paused and lowered her head. "Maybe… Maybe if you vouch for me, she'll just arrest me instead of erasing me..."

Creed stared at the defeated girl, able to tell from her slumped demeanor that she fully intended on losing her freedom the moment they found Chronos.

She has been really helpful in figuring out what's going on with Train. I may know most of it now, but she's still able to answer all my questions about him. And if Train continues suppressing his memories or the Chronos' drug continues messing with his head, we may need her to help decipher what's going on and what my beloved has been through.

Creed tucked Train's hair behind his ear again, kissed his head, then responded to the girl. "I'll see what I can do. Only if you promise not to run the moment we see them and really hand yourself over."

As terrible as it would be if she ran, at least I'd still have Train and that's all that matters. Besides that, it's not like she'd have anywhere else to go. Apostles will most certainly kill her the moment they see her.

Judging by the way she had been sulking all night, Creed could tell she felt guilty about everything. Even when she did sleep, she tossed and turned and cried almost as badly as Train did. Those were all the signs of a person whose soul was in pain and if her feelings for Train were anywhere near true, Creed was positive she was tormented by why she did.

Aliane raised her head and locked eyes with Creed. "I won't run. I'll hand myself over when we meet with Chronos. I promise."

Creed kept his eyes on her, searching for the serenity behind them and nodded. "Good."

They stayed like that for only a second longer before Aliane crawled backwards and Creed reached for his Imagine Blade when Train jolted up quickly. As soon as the cat leapt up, he activated his Tao and instinctively reached for Hades. Feeling it still wasn't attached to his leg, he growled in frustration and turned his electrified, blue eyes on the woman.

He put an expectant hand out to her. "Hand it over. Someone's here."

---

Lin looked behind himself at his leader and Number II, sighing in frustration at how slow they were moving, especially since he knew they could move faster than anyone else he knew.

Well, except maybe for Train.

Lin growled and turned around to look where he was going. It was still dark out and he didn't want to trip on or bump into anything.

Again…

Number X shook his head as he remembered bumping into the tree, much to his embarrassment that only worsened when one of the low level erasers snickered at him. He was able to hush the man by giving him a dark and deadly look. It was very unlike him to do something so insidious to anyone let alone a co-worker, but Lin wasn't himself. And the only thing that was going to bring back his sanity and logical mind was seeing Train again.

And if Doctor was telling the truth and Train is dead… I don't know what will become of me. I'll probably turn into a lifeless heap of human garbage like Creed did when Train first disappeared.

Lin clenched his fists and wiped a tear from his eye with the back of his hand.

If my Sweetness is dead… I don't think I can go on…

Number X growled and looked over his shoulder at the rest of his team. "Can we possibly move faster than the pace of a wounded gazelle? Train could be hurt!"

Or worse…

Lin shook his head again and turned back around. He couldn't allow himself to think such ominous thoughts. They couldn't afford to lose what little logic he had left in his impaired and ruptured head. He needed every bit of his sane thoughts if they were going to find his ex-lover.

Sephiria could hear the rising fury in the man's tired voice and glared at his back. "You know, moving faster in a situation like this will only make finding Diskenth and Heartnet worse. We need to be careful of any possible Apostles traps."

I'm tired of having this conversation with him. This is the third time in the last hour I've reminded him why we're moving at half pace. Lin knows if we rush it could mean our demise and if we die or are severely injured, we won't be able to find the Black Cat or Diskenth.

Sephiria's current army consisted only of herself, Belze, Lin, and a few low level erasers. She left a few erasers behind to guard the hideout and gave them orders to let the sweepers inside know what they were doing, but told them to stay put in case the Apostles showed up at the to finish them off. She firmly believed the Apostles were looking to take the Black Cat's friends out before they rescued Train to give the gunman less to live for.

If we succeed in saving Train, but he goes home to see all his friends are dead, that might just be enough to send him over the edge and destroy himself with his own abilities.

They all saw Train tearing himself apart with his own Tao and they knew the Nanomachines were the only thing keeping him together. However, Sephiria didn't doubt Doctor was able to find a way to remove those and let the Black Cat kill himself with his own strength. Other than having her or Creed kill him, that was going to be the best way to deal with the legendary assassin. Especially with his enhanced strength.

And that's why we need a few allies to stay behind. I ordered the erasers to tell the sweepers what we're doing, but not to tell them the exact location we'd be at. So they won't follow us.

That was how she assured Jenos, Kyoko, and Eve would stay behind. Number One wanted to know everyone in the house would be safe from an ambush while they were gone.

And hopefully Belze, Lin, and I will be enough to retrieve Train and Creed quickly. At this point, we have to be and hopefully we won't run into any traps.

She knew going out to the middle of nowhere to find out about a mysterious storm could have been a clever trap set by the Apostles, so they needed to be on guard. The fact that Doctor disappeared as soon as they arrived made Number One nervous he was off to collect more Apostles, and she knew none of them were prepared for a battle.

Although, I don't think the Apostles are ready either, but with the healing factor the Tao has, they could be back to normal by now. I know the curative properties of the ability depend greatly on the person and their level of Tao, so I can't say for sure if they're recovered or not.

But no matter what, she knew they couldn't take that risk. They had to keep moving before they were too late to save her ex-assassins, but they also had to be safe in case of traps or an ambush. Lin told her Doctor said he was alone and Train was dead, but there wasn't a single part in Sephiria's body that trusted the scientist. She wasn't going to trust anything the Apostles said, especially not after losing the Black Cat when they unknowingly befriended a group of the enemy Taoists.

She gritted her teeth in anger.

I could choke them all for falling for such an obvious trap. Especially since we warned them about it.

Sephiria shook her head to rid herself of the bitter thoughts. As angry as she still was at the sweepers, she knew her fury would get her nowhere. Maybe when they were all back together, she'd give them a mouthful, but even then she knew their next course of actions would be to prepare for the final fight.

And that battle is just around the corner now. I can feel it. Everything we've been through has been leading to this…

She gripped Christ tighter, her hair standing on its ends as she thought about their forthcoming combat with the Taoist.

The air is thick with the prophetic static of our imminent war… and my body is itching to get it started. It's been a long time coming.

She glanced over at her side and watched as one of her erasers scanned the perimeter for traps. She made sure to bring along lackeys who's forte was finding hidden quagmires since she knew they were going to have to keep an eye out for them. Because they were going into the middle of nowhere and might have possibly run into their enemies, she didn't want to take any chances.

When she saw a group of erasers return, she questioned them. "Find anything up ahead?"

The man in front of the group approached her first and shook his head. "No. We're in the clear for the next mile. Which is where we saw the field in question."

Sephiria nodded her head, but before she could give more orders, Lin cut her off with his frantic and tired voice. "Does that mean we can pick up the pace? Even if it's only for the next mile?"

Number One rolled her eyes. "Yes, Number X. Let's move a little faster. But only a little."

Lin growled, but nodded his head nonetheless. He wanted to run full speed in the direction of the field, but knew he was already on thin ice with his leader. He was lucky enough that Sephiria hadn't kept the Elders in the loop with his erratic and contumacious behavior, and he knew she did that to keep him safe.

I can't be mad at her. Not when she's putting herself at risk to keep me safe. If they find out she's been keeping them in the dark of my behavior… her punishment will be worse than anything they would have done to me. Even death.

As Lin moved his feet a little faster, he looked up at the dark sky and frowned, trying to imagine what it would be like to see Train again.

Will he let me hold him again? Will he bless me with at least that much after everything I've been through? I know a kiss is far beyond my reach, but would a hug be too selfish of me to request? Or even force upon him?

Lin let out another shaky sob and rubbed his eyes, moving his feet even faster as his gaze lowered back to the ground. He was aching so badly to see Train again, he wasn't sure he'd be able to hold himself back. Whether or not embracing his Sweetness the moment he saw him was selfish, Lin was certain he wasn't going to be able to stop himself even if he tried.

I guess I'll just have to hope he'll be able to forgive me when it happens. Because I'm sure it's going to.

As he passed another array of trees, he stopped when he walked onto an open and vacant field.

Despite the still slightly dark sky, Number X was still able to see the area in front of him. Upon scanning the field quickly, Lin sighed in relief when he saw no dead bodies.

Thank God… that means Doctor was lying.

Feeling slightly rejuvenated, but only slightly, Lin was able to get a better look at the field and worked out that they had reached the location they were looking for. As he stepped further into the pasture, he was able to get a better idea of what might have happened there. There were several burnt marks throughout the terrain, dead grass everywhere, and skid marks that looked like they had been made by a human sliding across the ground.

Even from this distance, I can see slices in the ground that look all too much like sword streaks. And no one in the Apostles uses a sword. …Was it Creed?

Doctor told him he brought Train there to test out his abilities, but after seeing the sword marks and knowing Creed was gone, Lin was starting to question the validity of that statement as well.

He was probably lying about that too. He just wanted to rile me up… and I almost let him. If it wasn't for Sephiria, I probably would have gotten trapped in his Tao.

As he stepped onto the field, he looked back at Sephiria and frowned.

Between her protecting me from the Elder's wrath and saving me from Doctor's Tao, I'm going to owe her a lot when this is all over.

He made a mental note to himself to try and show her how much he appreciated her kindness and make up for his disobedience in the future, then turned away from his leader. As the erasers walked onto the field, Number X began his search promptly, not bothering to wait for Number One's orders since he already knew what she was going to say.

Lin ran over to the area he believed the bulk of the storm occurred and knelt on the ground. Upon closer inspection, he could tell without a shadow of a doubt there were swordmarks stabbed and sliced into the ground. Judging by how thick and deep they were, he felt more confident that Creed had been there as well. Lin was also able to see spots where the grass was wet, which led him to believe his Sweetness had used his ice abilities.

Did Creed and Train fight? Is that the real reason Doctor brought Train here? To get him to kill Creed? Did he not go off on his own? Was he taken against his will as well?

Lin was beginning to feel a guilty at blaming the silverette for disappearing, but shook himself of the emotion quickly. He didn't have time for that. He needed to figure out what happened so they could find the men. The Chronos' number scanned the area again and frowned.

There are no bodies anywhere to be found, which means if they did get into a fight, they must have gotten away. And since Doctor was by himself, they must have given him the slip.

Lin furrowed his brow as he considered the frazzled state he found Kanzaki in, and began to work out that Creed and Train might have turned the fight on him. Even with the scientist's cryptic Tao, he didn't think the madman would be a match for both the ex-assassins. Individually, they were a force to be reckoned with.

But together, as much as I hate to admit it, they are unstoppable.

The more Lin looked at the area and the more he thought about it, the more it made sense the lover's had some sort of spat, but somehow managed to chase the Doctor away and ran off together. He wasn't sure how they did it, but Lin knew both men well enough to understand that they were capable of anything.

"It looks like Creed and Train fought, then disappeared. Judging by the state Kanzaki was in, I'm sure that's what happened."

Lin turned around and looked at his leader, nodding as he spoke. "That's exactly my reasoning, Sephiria. But, where did they go?"

"Hey! I think I found something!"

Sephiria grimaced her lackey's thunderous voice, not sure why he was using such a volume when they were trying to be careful. She turned around to scold the man, but stopped when she saw he had climbed to the top of a tree to search the area, binoculars in his hand.

Frowning, she walked closer to him so they wouldn't have to yell. "What is it?"

The man pointed straight ahead. "There's a barn about five or six miles that way. It looks like it's abandoned."

Sephiria raised her eyebrows and looked in the direction he was pointing.

"Do you think they would go there for cover?"

Sephiria didn't need to turn around to know Belze was the one posing the question. She frowned and answered the man. "Seeing that their bodies are nowhere to be found and assuming they were able to make it that far, yes."

Belze turned to see where his leader was looking. "Five or six miles wouldn't be too hard for them to travel even with injuries. You know better than anyone else how resilient they are."

Sephiria nodded. "Yes, but it's possible they were disoriented from their fight and went a different direction and collapsed somewhere else."

Belze nodded in returned. "True, but isn't it also possible they could have walked in circles until they found the barn? I mean, there's nowhere else in sight. Would it hurt to look?"

Sephiria sighed and began to think about his words. That barn seemed too close for them to go immediately after their fight, especially with Doctor still in the area. She didn't think Creed was foolish enough to rest somewhere that was so close to the obvious battle ground. However, Belze had a point. Even with how good their survival skills were, the darkness of the night combined with Creed's exhaustion and possible injuries could have created disorientation which would have led them in the wrong direction.

And If Creed managed to give Train the drug like I asked him, Heartnet would have been knocked out making it even harder for Diskenth to know where he was going. It is plausible to think they walked around in circles before finally finding the barn, believing it was farther away than it actually was, and fell asleep.

Just as Sephiria was about to give the order to head towards the barn, Lin was already running in the direction of it. She sighed and rolled her eyes, then gestured for everyone to follow the tenacious number.

---

Aliane blinked in confusion at Train's statement, but saw Creed was standing up and taking a defensive position as well, so she figured their reactions were not a drill. With shaky hands, she pulled Train's gun out of her jacket and handed it to the Black Cat. Train took it swiftly, his lightning fingers making brief contact with the young woman causing her to flinch slightly in pain. The gunman paid her no mind as he ran towards the door with his partner, both ex-assassin's making sure their footsteps were light so they would not be heard by whoever was approaching.

When they both reached the door and leaned against it, trying to hear who was outside, Creed glanced at Train with worry. "Train… Are you going to be okay activating your Tao?"

Train rapidly turned his head towards his lover, giving him a confused and pained look since he wasn't sure how to react to the question. "Is… Is that an order…?"

Creed sighed and shook his head, trying to think how he could relay his concerns to his beloved without making Train believe they were an order. "No. No, Train. Nothing I will ever say to you will be an order. I'm just asking because-"

His words were cut off when they heard the footsteps stop. Train and Creed gave each other a knowing look, then looked up at the roof where they knew the steps reappeared. Both of their eyes moved along the wooden panels towards the hole in the ceiling and they realized what was about to happen.

Aliane realized as well and immediately turned herself invisible. She didn't know who it was, but considering her situation with everyone around her was contemptuous, she decided she wasn't going to take any risks. She accepted her fate with Chronos and was prepared to turn herself in to be arrested, but she knew there was a possibility that Sephiria wouldn't hesitate to kill her on sight and she didn't want to put herself in that peril.

And if it's the Apostles they will absolutely kill me on sight.

She glanced at Creed and Train, noticing how on guard they were and seeing the pain the cat's Tao created that he was trying to desperately hide. Creed took a step in front of his lover and Aliane could see how distressed the silverette was for the man he loved. It was clear Creed was scared that someone was going to slip in and take his beloved away again, and Aliane couldn't blame him. However, she was confused to see Train was also trying to protect Creed.

He forgets the battle with Creed, so he doesn't have any reason to believe his partner is injured. Why is Train being so protective?

Every time Creed stepped in front of Train with his arms out, Train would slip around his partner and flicker his body more with electricity. The Black Cat's eyes were burning with a determined intensity, as if he was prepared to die if that meant keeping Creed safe. Taking a closer look at the golden man's face, Aliane could see a tear fall from his eye, making it clear what he was really scared of.

He's not scared of going back to the Apostles. He's scared of being separated from Creed again. He's scared that whoever it is will kill Creed and that will break his spirit entirely. If they do that, Train will be at the Apostles' mercy.

Aliane felt her heart break as Train once again stepped in front of Creed, even going so far as to create a cloud of fog around the silver man, as if that was going to protect his lover from being harmed.

However, Creed grabbed Train and pulled him back and behind himself, not letting go of the other man as he locked eyes with the hole in the roof. He extended his Imagine Blade as well, making sure it was close to the hole and ready to attack whoever was going to jump in the room. Aliane sighed again.

They both love each other so much it's both heartwarming and nauseating. I feel like I'm going to get diabetes just looking at them. I wish I could do more to help them right now. But no matter who it is, I know I won't be a match for them.

She frowned deeply, then widened her eyes when a thought occurred to her, and she shook her head at the absurdity at forgetting her own abilities.

Wait! I can just use my Eyesight and see who it is! What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I always forgetting my own damn abilities?

Not wanting to entertain her stupidity any longer, Aliane activated her Eyesight and locked onto whoever was on the roof. She sighed in relief, but also in misery when she saw who it was.

Staying invisible, she turned to the men who seemed intent on protecting each other. Seeing the anxiety and worry in both men's eyes and knowing neither of them were going to back down from protecting each other, Aliane decided to speak in hope she could calm the men.

"Guys, don't worry, it's-"

She was unable to finish her sentence as the occupants on the roof leapt into the room and began an attack. Train had filled the room with too much icy fog for anyone else other than Aliane to see, so there was nothing to stop them from fighting each other. Aliane watched as two swords clashed against each other and a thin, sharp piece of fabric sliced at the air and towards Train.

She then heard Train shoot several bullets in the direction of whoever was attacking him, followed by more clashing of swords and another weapon that looked similar to a sword, but wasn't quite the same thing. She didn't know what the weapon was called, but she also didn't care since she knew she needed to stop them.

She shouted at the top of her lungs, making sure everyone could hear her voice over the commotion that had hastily been created. "STOP IT! TRAIN, CLEAR THE FOG! LOOK AND SEE WHO YOU'RE FIGHTING"

One of the fighter's eyes widened as he lowered his weapon slightly. "Train…?"

Train, still feeling the need to follow orders and knowing he was not given any commands that contradicted Aliane's, did as he was told and waved his arm to dismiss the fog. When the fog was cleared, he was met with Lin's face only inches from his own, Train's back pinned against the ground with the shorter man's cloak aimed at his throat.

Lin's entire body began to shake and he retreated his weapon immediately, collapsing onto the man he had been searching for relentlessly and restlessly for the last nine days. "Train! Oh my God, Train! Is it really you?!"

Train blinked in confusion as the man fell on top of him, then growled and pushed Lin off forcefully. The cat rolled away from the number, crouching on the ground very much like a tiger about to pounce on its prey, Hades still cocked and aimed at Lin's face. The gunman's body was still sparking fiercely as he locked eyes with his ex-lover.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing…?"

Lin fell to his hands and knees the moment Train pushed him away, looking hopelessly and dolefully at the man he loved more than anything else in the world. "What are you talking about, Train? I missed you! What wouldn't I-"

"SHUT UP!" Train yelled and fired several shots at the man.

Lin's eyes widened again as more tears fell from his eyes, but he was able to block the shots with his cloak before they made contact with his head. His face burned with the salty liquid his tears created as Train flew himself at the man, launching an electric attack at his face, followed by a sheet of ice. Lin knew his Sweetness was attempting to pin him to the ground, but since Number X refused to retaliate, he pulled his cloak back and ran towards the wall of the barn.

The Chronos assassin leapt in the air to avoid the electric attack, then kicked himself off the wall and to the side to dodge the ice blast. When he saw Train running towards him, his heart shattered to pieces at the hate and anger he saw in his sweet love's normally buoyant, kind eyes.

"Train!" Lin shouted through his sobs. "Train, don't you recognize me?! Don't you know who I am?!"

"OH, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! AND I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY THIS TIME!" Train shouted as he ran towards his target, determined to not let the man out of his sight. "YOU WON'T TRICK ME AGAIN!"

As Train aimed his gun again, he skidded to a halt when Creed slid in front of him, his arms out with his deactivated Imagine Blade in one hand. "TRAIN! STOP!"

The cat stopped immediately, standing up straight, and dropping Hades to his side. He nodded at Creed and put his arms behind his back. "Yes, Master."

Creed sighed in relief and attached his blade back to his hip. He hated the fact that he had to give his beloved a command in order to make the fight stop, but he didn't see any other options.

Train seemed intent on attacking Lin and the look in his Kitten's eyes was the same as when he woke up and thought Creed was Zagine. That meant he must have thought Number X was someone else as well.

Sephiria blinked as she watched Creed approach Train and wrap his arms around the Black Cat. However, her eyes remained locked onto the former Number XIII's since she saw something that shook her core.

That's the same look he had in his eyes whenever I gave him orders while he was an assassin. What the hell has been going on?

Sephiria sheathed her sword and brushed Belze away as he tried to help her stand. She and Creed ended their fight the moment the fog cleared and immediately turned their attention to the battle raging between Train and Lin. The two were moving too fast to react with their own attacks, but it seemed that Creed had other plans in mind for stopping them.

Sephiria glanced and Lin, noticing he was physically okay, but emotionally distraught. Seeing Belze went check on the number's well being, she approached her former assassins with a stern command.

"Heartnet, Diskenth. Explain yourselves."

Creed panicked and tried to respond to the woman before Train could, but his beloved was too quick. "I was disposing of the target, Rusty Sylvia as you requested, Ma'am. And I didn't want to let him get away this time."

Sephiria blinked at him in confusion. "Sylvia? That was one of your first missions as a number. What the hell are you talking about, Black Cat?"

That was a particularly heartbreaking mission as well. Not only did the target get away, but he tricked Train into shooting an innocent child. It took a lot of re-working of Chronos' drug in his system to get him to continue killing. He was traumatized for quite a while after that.

Creed growled and turned to Train, giving him another unwilling command so his beloved wouldn't respond. "Train, don't answer that. Let me talk to Sephiria."

Train closed his mouth, then nodded at Creed. "Yes, Master."

Creed sighed and kissed Train's forehead, then turned to face Number One. "You can't give him commands like that, Sephiria. The Chronos' drug is still in his system."

Sephiria blinked in confusion at him. "You didn't give him the antidote?"

Creed rubbed his eyes, then took a hold of Train's hand to pull the cat next to time. "I did. And it worked, just not completely as you said it wouldn't. He's still taking commands from everyone, but according to Aliane, he has a pecking order."

Sephiria blinked again, then scowled at the mention of the traitorous woman's name. "Aliane… What are you talking about? Did you run into that woman?"

Creed sighed and looked over at Lin who was still stuck in his morose shock at being attacked by the man he loved. "She's in the room right now. If you promise not to attack, I'll tell her to reveal herself."

Sephiria glared at Creed. "What makes you think she didn't already leave?"

Creed frowned, then wrapped his fingers around Train's. "Only one way to find out. This will also be a great opportunity to see if she really meant it when she said she was going to turn herself in." He looked around the room, even though he was sure he wouldn't see the invisible girl. "Aliane, it's okay, show yourself! Sephiria won't attack."

The moment of silence after his statement worried Creed, but the girl suddenly appeared next to and slightly behind him, as if she was using his body to shield herself. As soon as she appeared, Sephiria drew Christ again and aimed it at the girl's neck. Aliane flinched and shut her eyes, but did not use her abilities to protect herself. She was trusting Creed to have her back, and she didn't want to betray his trust just when she felt like she was beginning to earn it.

Sephiria glared at the girl, not taking her eyes off the Taoist as she addressed Creed. "Why is she not attacking?"

Creed sighed. "Maybe because she knows she's no match for you? Maybe because she knows she outnumbered? I think the question you should be asking is why didn't she leave."

Sephiria glanced at Creed quickly, then turned back to Aliane. "It's a trap. She earned your trust again so you would lure the rest of us out here so the Apostles can jump us. BELZE!"

"On it, Ma'am." Belze leapt through the ceiling in the roof and Creed could hear his booming voice ordering the Chronos' lackeys outside to sweep the area.

Aliane peeked her eyes open at the woman. "There's no one here but us, I can see it with my Eyesight."

Sephiria cocked an eyebrow. "Eyesight?"

Creed answered for the girl since he knew Sephiria wouldn't listen to her. "It's one of her abilities. It allows her to see two-hundred miles ahead and through objects and people. She's been keeping patrol all night."

Sephiria tightened her grip on Christ and locked eyes with the girl. "And you decided to trust her to tell you the truth?"

Creed stiffened his body, then gripped Train's hand tighter to give him strength as he spoke to the powerful woman. "Yes. She's the one that found me and brought me to Train. She's the one that did whatever she could to keep Train safe at the Apostles. She's the one that led Doctor away so we could escape with Train and she's actually the one that gave Train the shot of the antidote."

Sephiria did not lower her swords as she looked at Creed. "I'll be the judge of her trustworthiness…"

Creed sighed, knowing it wasn't going to be easy to gain Sephiria's trust. "She's offering to hand herself over to Chronos and give them any information she can about the Apostles."

Sephiria rolled her eyes. "She's low in the pecking order at the Apostles and seeing as Train is here, that means their hideout will have or will be moving soon. Not to mention she was barely there. What information could she possibly have to off us?"

Creed frowned and looked down at the girl who was shaking and fighting back tears. He then looked at Train who was still standing as if he was waiting for his next orders, which Creed had no doubt was true based on the emotionless look in his eyes.

If Train understood what was going on right now, he wouldn't want her to be killed. Even though she's an enemy and she betrayed us, he doesn't want anyone to be killed. For my beloved, and for my own sanity, I'll make sure Sephiria doesn't kill her.

Creed took a step between Aliane and Sephiria, giving Number one a stubborn look as he spoke. "You won't know until you question her. Arrest her and bring her with us. She's already told us a lot in the last several hours and I'm sure she's got more to share if you just gave her a chance. Besides that, her abilities are rather useful."

Sephiria stared at Creed, her blade now pointing at the silver man's chest. Their steely eyes locked, as if they were daring the other to make a move. A few seconds later, Belze jumped back in through the hole and approached his leader.

"There's no one else here. We're safe, Sephiria."

Number One glanced at Belze, then back at Creed. She glared at the woman behind Creed and gestured her head towards Aliane. "Arrest the girl. We're taking her with us."

Creed let out a sigh and stepped aside so Belze could arrest her. Once she was cuffed, Creed stood back next to Train, taking his beloved's hand in his own as he turned to face his cat. "Train… Do you recognize the people around us?"

Train blinked at Creed, then cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

Creed sighed and lowered his head, taking Train in his arms once more. "...Did you forget what just happened again?"

Train frowned at his lover, then glanced over his shoulder and saw Lin sitting on the floor, the number's face paled with sadness as tears stained his delicate cheeks. The cat took a step towards his former lover. "Lin?"

Lin's eyes widened when he heard his sweet love use his name. He stumbled to his feet and ran full speed towards Train. "Train! You know who I am?!"

Creed stepped aside and allowed Lin to embrace his beloved, knowing it would have been cruel to keep Train all to himself after everything Lin had been through. Besides that, he could tell by the look on his Kitten's face that he wanted to greet Number X as well. The moment Creed moved away from the cat, Lin crashed into the gunman and wrapped his arms around his neck, his feet kicking off the floor from their height difference. Train returned the hug by sliding his arms around the shorter man's waist, pulling his ex-lover against his chest as the assassin buried his face as deep into his sweet love's chest as he could.

"Train…" Lin moaned as he continued letting the tears fall, except now, they were happy tears. "Oh, my Sweetness…. I missed you so much."

Train smiled and patted the back of the number's head, knowing that Lin was going to read into the embrace, but not caring. Despite their ex-lover status, Train still cared more about Lin than most other people, and he wanted a moment to reunite with him as well as his other friends.

"I'm okay, Lin…" Train gently ran his fingers through the petite man's hair. "I'm okay, thanks to Creed."

Lin turned his head to look at Creed, giving the silverette a conflicted look. He looked grateful, yet jealous, overjoyed, yet heartbroken, and relaxed, yet anxious. Number X still wasn't sure why Train had seen him as an old target at first, but now that he was in his sweet cat's arms again, he didn't care. He was still furious at Creed for going off without him to find Train, but now that he had Train back, it didn't matter.

I can yell at Creed later. All I want right now is Train.

Lin smiled thankfully at Creed, then turned back so his face was embedded in Train's chest. He could feel the other man's heart beating against face and the gentle thumping was more soothing than anything else he could imagine. The warmth Train's body created as it encompassed him was all Lin needed in the world to make him happy.

Every single one of his emotions were been accentuated by the fact that Train was shirtless, which made the fire blazing in his chest expand to the rest of his body and he had a feeling if the situation had been different, his sweet love might have felt a physical change in the lower region on his body.

He could feel the Black Cat's breath lightly waft through his hair and gently descend down his neck, creating goosebumps all over his skin, giving him the sensation of pure bliss. As if Heaven had bestowed upon him their most nobel and ethereal angel, which Lin knew wasn't far from the truth. The only thing that would have made that moment better was if he was permitted to kiss his Sweetness.

I know that's far beyond my reach, but I can dream, can't I?

When he felt Train pull away and looked down at him, the golden man's hands on either of his shoulders as he smiled down at Lin, his heart skipped a beat. Not able to fight the intense desire he had to be with Train again, Lin leaned forward and shut his eyes, perching his lips slightly in preparation for a kiss. Disappointment reigned down on him and Train's thumbs wiped away his tears, then cupped his cheeks genially and kept his head still, preventing their lips from meeting.

Lin opened his eyes and frowned, but the heat in his chest swelled when he saw the smile that never failed to make his knees weak. His body liquified in Train's arms, falling forward until his face found his Sweetness' chest again. Train wrapped his arms around Lin's slim back again, running his fingers through his hair as he tried to comfort the man as platonically as he could.

Train felt Lin sob into his chest and he smiled sympathetically. "Stop crying, Lin… I'm back."

Lin laughed through his tears and punched Train's chest playfully. "Shut up! I missed you. Let me cry."

Train chuckled and nodded his head. "Of course…"

Creed watched his beloved's reunion with the number and smiled fondly. The old him would have been throwing a fit both inwardly and outwardly at the display, but he had become a more healthy version of himself. A version where he didn't feel threatened by Lin since he knew Train's heart belonged to him.

And after everything Lin has been through physically, emotionally, and mentally, he deserves to be permitted to hold Train like that. And it actually looks like it's helping Train as well. Maybe seeing more of our friends will help him regain his true self.

Sephiria nodded in approval as she watched Number X relax into the Black Cat. She could tell his sanity had been restored the moment he took Train in his arms and Number One could feel a weight being lifted off her shoulders.

Now I don't have to worry about punishing him. As long as he gets back to normal, I won't tell the Elders of his constant insubordination the last nine days and we can move forward. That is, assuming Heartnet is back to normal. Which doesn't seem to be the case.

She looked away from the ambrosial display of Train and Lin reuniting and back to Creed. She was only slightly surprised to see the man had no jealousy in his eyes, only warmth and happiness at seeing the men embrace.

As if I needed more evidence he's changed. There's no way the Creed from Chronos or the Apostles would have allowed someone to hold his precious Black Cat like that.

"Why did Heartnet think Lin was Sylvia at first?" Sephiria's voice was no-nonsense as usual, glancing over at Belze as he secured Aliane's feet with chains as well.

Train blinked and lifted his head away from Lin's hair to look at the woman. "Wait, what?" He pulled the number away and looked down at him. "I saw you as Sylvia?"

Lin whimpered at being taken away from Train's bare chest and struggled at his sweet love's hold. He broke free of Train's arms and fell back against his chest, not caring about how his Sweetness reacted when they first saw each other. "Yes, but I don't care. You know who I am now and I'm not going to ruin this moment with something as trivial as that."

"Except it's not trivial, Number X and you know it." Sephiria eyed Lin wearily, then realized he didn't hear what she had to say since he was too lost in the Black Cat's body. She sighed and looked back at Creed. "Why doesn't Train remember this?"

Creed smiled peacefully at Train and Lin, then turned to face his former leader. "Same reason he saw me as Zagine when we first saw each other. And the same reason he forgot about that as well. It's the Chronos' drug."

Sephiria cocked an eyebrow at him. "But you said she gave him the antidote." She narrowed her eyes on the handcuffed woman. "Did she change the drug?"

Creed sighed and rolled his eyes. "No. She wouldn't have had time. "It's… a long story. She was too busy distracting and leading the Doctor away. He's probably lost in the woods as we speak."

Sephiria shook her head. "No. He took off with those monsters." Seeing the confused look in Creed's face, she sighed. "Also a long story. We ran into him on the way here. He got away."

Creed cocked an eyebrow at her. "How did he get Aja and Aztec to show up?"

Sephiria rubbed her eyes. "He had a whistle. Like I said, it's a long story we can discuss while we bring Heartnet home."

She watched out of the corner of her eye as Train finally pried Lin off his body and wiped his chest of the salty liquid the number drenched him in. Sephiria rolled her eyes when she saw Lin trying to help the Black Cat dry off his bear chest, much to the gunman's annoyance. Train brushed Lin's hands away and rolled his eyes and the assassin latched back onto his body, but did not push him away.

Creed nodded at Sephiria, then looked over at Aliane quickly. "Did you know about a whistle?"

Aliane shook her head. "No, I swear! But, I did see it around his neck when I phased through his body. I didn't know what it was for at the time, but I didn't care since the bigger problem was to get him as far away from you as possible."

Sephiria looked between them, skeptical of their conversation, but knowing Creed wouldn't make it up. "She… really helped you?"

Creed nodded and smirked at Lin as he tried to offer Train his cloak to wrap around his body. "Yes. We wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for her."

Creed heard Aliane sigh in relief, but kept his eyes on Lin and his Kitten. He knew Number X was offering the cat his weapon to protect the gunman in case they were attacked, but it was clear that it annoyed his Kitten. However, Creed could see the amused smile on Train's face which warmed and comforted his heart. His beloved's interaction with the assassin only confirmed to Creed that the more he saw his friends, the more he was turning back to himself.

We need to get him home so he can see Eve and Sven as well. I'm sure once he sees them and a Chronos doctor, he'll be back to normal in no time.

Creed chuckled as Lin seemingly scolded Train and wrapped his cloak around him, impressed that he was capable of making his deadly weapon cozy and comforting for his love.

Creed frowned.

Wait, how did he get Train to agree to wear it so easily?

His eyes widened and he stepped towards his beloved.

Shit… Lin's probably giving him orders! And he doesn't know Train can't disobey right now.

Seeing the obedient look in his beloved's eyes, Creed knew his thoughts were true and decided to intervene as he took another step forward "Lin, be careful! From what Aliane's told us, you might be one of the top people in Train's hierarchy for taking orders."

Lin and Train both turned to Creed and blinked in confusion at him. "What?"

Creed's heart broke seeing the confusion in his love's eyes, then stepped closer and took Train's head in his hands. He rested his forehead against Train's as he spoke. "You won't understand, Train. At least right now you won't. Give it time and I'm sure you'll get it. Okay?"

Train's body stiffened again, similarly to how it had when Lin told him to take the cloak and he nodded his head firmly. "Understood, Master. What are my next orders?"

Lin frowned and took Train's rigid hand in his own. "Train… Why do you keep saying that?"

Creed pulled his head away from Train and looked down at Lin. "He said that to you too?"

Lin nodded. "Other than the 'Master' part, he said the same thing word for word when I told him to take my cloak. What's going on, Creed?"

Creed sighed and looked back at Train, kissing his love's forehead lightly. "Guess I really am the top…"

Creed couldn't help but snicker at his own comment, not able to stop his own inappropriate thoughts from popping in his head.

I'm the top for Train in more ways than one… His 'Master' comment is getting harder and harder not to make sexual now that I see he's getting better after seeing more people he knows.

Lin saw the perverted look in Creed's eyes and was able to work out what he was thinking since his mind went to the same place with Train called Creed, 'Master'. He glared slightly at the man, but it was a hard expression to hold since he knew he had no right to be jealous and his body felt like it was ready to collapse. Now that he had Train back, he knew the moment they got to a bed he was going to sleep for days. And since he was sure his Sweetness was going to be safe, he was looking forward to it.

I'll make sure he's safe.

Lin wrapped his arm around Train's elbow and pulled himself closer to the man he loved. "Trian, why do you keep asking about orders?"

Train blinked down at the man, pulling his head from Creed's hands as he spoke to the shorter man. "What are you talking about?" He looked back at Creed, desperation in his eyes as he tried to understand what was going on. "Creed? What's going on?"

Creed could tell Train was beginning to panic, so he wrapped his Kitten in his arms again, ignoring Lin's quiet protest at almost losing his grip on the gunman's arm. The swordsman rested his lover's face against his shoulder, petting his hair lovingly as he spoke.

"You'll understand soon, my love. We just need to get you home like Sephiria said. And you'll see Sven and Eve there as well." Creed blinked at his own words, then pulled back and looked at his Kitten again. "Did you see Sephiria as Sephiria when she first came in?"

Train squinted at Creed as he tried to think, then looked past his lover at Number One who was giving him a dubious look. "I… I don't remember seeing her at all until just now… When… did she get here?"

Creed sighed despondently when he saw Train's anxiety rise and pulled his beloved back against his chest before he could completely fall apart. "Shhh, it's okay, Train. Don't worry about it. It'll all become more clear when you see a doctor." He looked over his shoulder at Sephiria. "There's still one ready for him when we get home, right?"

Sephiria snapped her fingers at one of her lower level lackeys and the eraser fumbled at his Chronos device and sent a request for a physician. "Yes, one will be there as soon as we get home. Heartnet, can you-"

Creed let go of his love and turned around quickly to meet Sephiria's gaze. "NO! Don't give an order! And especially don't give an order for Train to use his Tao. He's not ready yet."

Sephiria cocked an eyebrow at Creed, looking behind the swordsman at the Black Cat as Lin grabbed the gunman's cheeks and turned his head back and forth to check for any injuries. "Then why was he using them when we came into the room?"

Creed sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Because he thought you were an enemy. Despite the antidote, the Chronos' drug is still strong in his system and he'll listen to your orders specifically over most other's orders."

Sephiria frowned. "Most other's?"

Creed nodded and gestured towards Aliane. "According to her, there's a pecking order in his head created by the Apostles that might have been re-written when we gave him the drug. It seems like I'm at the top of the list, followed by you and then maybe Lin."

Lin's ears perked at the use of his name and he turned his eyes away from his Sweetness, but left his hands on Train's cheeks. "What?"

Sephiria glanced at the woman Creed was referring to, curiosity evident in her stringent eyes. "...Maybe it will benefit us to question the girl."

Train ignored what his former leader said in favor of what his lover said. He pulled his face out of Lin's grasp to question his partner. "Creed… What are you talking about? What do you mean by a 'pecking order'?"

Creed turned back around to look at his beloved, kissing his lips soothingly before he pulled away and pressed their foreheads together again. "Like I said, you'll understand soon, my love. But before that can happen, we need to get you home."

Lin frowned at their ardent and slightly concupiscent interaction, wanting to say something before he was forced to watch them kiss again. "I'd like to know what's going on as well. Why does Train seem so confused? Why does he keep forgetting? And why didn't he know I was me at first?"

Creed sighed and shut his eyes, but did not remove his forehead from Train's. He was feeling more tired now that he was sure they were safe. "Can we please stop asking the same questions over and over again and just talk about this on the way home? How far away are we?"

Sephiria frowned at the swordsman. "About half a day's walk, but seeing as there's no one around, I'll call for a vehicle to pick us up. With that, we should be back in about an hour."

The only reason I didn't use one to get here was for safety reasons. I didn't want to make too much noise and cause a commotion that would alert the Taoists.

Creed nodded his head, turning back to Train and brushing Lin gently away so he could hold his love's hand. "Sounds good. I'd like to get Train to a real bed rather than have to settle for this pile of hay any longer."

Sephiria nodded, then rolled her eyes at Lin's pout at losing his hold on Train. He glared at Creed slightly, then walked around to the other side of the golden man. He found a solution to his dilemma by standing on the other side of the Black Cat, wrapping his arm around Train's unoccupied elbow since Creed was holding one of his hands already.

It appears as though the Black Cat is going to have his own personal escort on the way home.

Sephiria used her Chronos device to hail a vehicle, then looked at the men in front of her. "Transportation should be here soon. Let's wait outside."

Sephiria sliced open the doors to the barn and kicked them aside, a fiery determination burning in her eyes as she imagined the final battle that was quickly approaching.